I Will Listen
by RSTUV
Summary: Sanji's pov of the telling of Nami's story
1. I Will Listen

_Uhhhh this was one big mess that my beautiful crew member had gotten herself into. She is obviously trying to protect us_. No lady should have to endure such torture. A beautiful maiden appeared in the road over Usopp's shoulder, Usopp informed us that she was Nami-san's sister. _No wonder she is so beautiful._ Her sisters looks were so blinding that I almost missed the words she said.

"Please don't get involved with our business. I will tell you everything if you leave this island." She bargained. _There was no way that I was going to leave Nami-san in this mess, but we don't have to let them know that._ Luffy piped up

"I don't want to listen to that because I don't care about her past" He told her bluntly. He had the same look on his face that he had when he refused to my refusal to join his crew. I couldn't tell what was going through his mind. _Could anyone?_

 _"_ I am going to take a walk" he announced. Heading down the road. Usopp apparently in the same boat as me asked

Take a walk?! You don't want to know about her past?" He exclaimed disbelief pooring off his face. Nami-san's sister was shocked at his rudeness as well. _That bastard, not caring about Nami-san's story._ The moss head was the only one not surprised as he made himself comfortable against a near by tree. I felt a flash of guilt about my roughness earlier, when I remembered his horrible wound. The guilt vanished when an arrogant grin spread across his face.

"Don't worry about him, that's the way he is. Tell us, we'll listen." _Argh! I should have been the one to say that no her attention is all on moss head._

"However, nothing is going to change" He warned. Then I understood Luffy's actions. Zoro knew they were free to listen to her story because Luffy wasn't going anywhere anyways. The story didn't matter to Luffy because it was being told as a way to convince us to leave, and Luffy might have known that. No matter what happened my captain was not backing down.

Usopp started yelling when moss hair fell asleep.

"You told her that you'd listen but you fall asleep before she even begins." He yelled incredulously. Before sighing and turning to the sister.

"I will listen to you" he told her

"Me too." I added.

The Nami-san's sister told us the story of Nami-san and Arlong.

My heart sank when Arlong arrived on the happy island.

My heart broke when her mother was killed in front of her.

Broke even more when she was forced to join his crew to save her village.

I thought I would never be able to find all the pieces when I thought about how alone she must have been...

 _Just like me._

I could not bear the thought of her alone like that, it made me so angry.

"Any person who hurts Nami-san's feelings, I won't let them live peacefully!" I raged, until a fist bopped me on the head. _OUCH!_ I realized Nami-san's sister had hit me.

"Why did you hit me?" I asked, hurt.

"I came here to tell you not to do anything stupid. If you get involved with her, you will make those mermen suspicious of Nami, and her plan for the past eight years will be ruined."

 _Yeah well tough! Let her plans be ruined, they were ruined ever since she joined this crew. She's not ever going to serve them ever again. Never. Nami-san will just have to deal with it. We are going to save her. She's a part of our crew!_


	2. Thank You

**NOTE:**

 **Italics are thoughts**

Everyone was going to die because of Arlong...

Every one was going to die.

I failed

The money was gone, now every one would die. Nojiko, Gen-san, everyone. My knees hit the ground as everyone ran past me.

Not a soul left in sight, an empty town.

"Arlong" I could hear someone shout, a twisted, alien shout. _It's me_ I realized. I could hear his laughter in my head. First my mother now...

"ARLONG" Now everyone else. An empty town.

"ARLONG!" I keened, tears spilling down my face, I grabbed the knife that I had dropped, when Gen-san had hugged me, and stabbed that horrible tatoo on my shoulder. _I have to get it off._

"ARLONG!" I sobbed. He would laugh that laugh when he killed them, everyone. An lonely village.

I had lost. I brought the knife down again, barely registering the pain from the first time. There was nothing left to do now. Nobody else...

The knife was stuck on something immovable. I turned and saw a straw hat and calm, controlled eyes/ I turned and saw strength and power at my back holding the knife immobile.

"LUFFY!" I gasped. _Why does he have o be here as well!?_

"What is it now?" I demanded, my voice cracked. "You don't know anything." _He is just a stupid kid with an impossible dream._

"No I don't know anything" he agreed. Tossing the knife down . _This kid was going to die as well. Why didn't he understand that?!_

"It's none of your business" I yelled at him gripping the dirt since he would not let me have the knife.

"I told you to get off the island" I sobbed hating how pathetic, how weak I sounded. _But that is what I am, weak, I failed to protect my friends._ I threw the dirt at him.

"Yes. You've already told me" He agreed again in that infuriatingly calm voice, as if he understood. _He can't possible know. Everyone is gone, everyone would die, everyone, everyone...But...perhaps this...stupid...kid._

"Luffy. Help me." I begged turning to look up into his calm face. I saw something snap into place in his eyes, there expression changed from that stubborn, control, close expression that I had seen on his face since I had first met him on the road and told him to go was as if he had been waiting this whole time. Because what replaced that look frightened me. He took off his hat. _It is like someone has let a monster lose to play._ Luffy placed the hat on my head. He took a few steps forward, past me and took a deep breath. I looked up at his hat _This is his hat, his treasure._ I remembered from our first conversation.

"OF COURSE I WILL" He shouted. He began walking again, the same way that the villagers had taken out of town.

"Let's go!" He told Zoro, Usopp, and the newest member, Sanji. _I didn't even notice they were there._

"Yeah." They all agreed. Even Usopp, without hesitation.

For the first time in years I felt like I had a family again For the first time in years I felt true joy. I gripped the hat tighter. THANK YOU.

 _Thank you._


	3. Arlong

Sitting in my cells as I heard talk of a boy with a straw hat and his crew my ears caught on the mention of the swordsman, my mind sending me back to that day.

 **Year Ago On Conomi Island**

 _Huh It was almost laughable little girl, little Nami wanted to fight me for what? These pathetic humans_. I respected my navigator's skills, her fighting skills however were as pathetic as any human's

"You asked for it" I sighed

"AAAAAaaaagghhhhh" came a loud gasp from the wall, starling me. I looked away towards the sound and saw a fountain of water bursting in the air. My hands clenched in my pockets.

"What was that!" I growled _I'm tired of this shit!_ It was like the fountain was a signal because no sooner had it disappeared then the curly browed vermin was getting to his feet.

"He's back The only thing left is to destroy that rock." Curly browed muttered. _Rock? They are talking about that devil boy? How is he alive he is a hammer? But it doesn't really matter if he is still alive, I will finish him after I am done with these guys._ I decided. It would be easy to prevent the vermin from leaving

"So this is what you were talking about" said the sword vermin. He had just been lying prone a minute ago but had managed to get to his feet. _What! How!_

"I can give you thirty seconds. I can't take anymore then that." The green-haired groaned, using a sword to get to his feet.

 _Oh they are trying to buy time to save their boy captain. I will quickly deal with both of them . It is only him against me. Fools! They would have had a better chance of no chance sticking together._ The cook leapt into the ocean, only making it easier for me later.

"We don't have a fountain over there. Is that rubber man?" I growled stepping forward then leaping out of the way just in time to avoid the blade.

"Don't worry there's no point in going over there you half–fish half human." The green vermin mocked.

"I told you not to say that word." I hissed. _Does this puny human want to die. Why do all of the members of this crew seek to end their lives with such passion._ The villagers were chanting again, the horrible smell of rotten eggs hit my nose. I noticed that liquid dripped down my arm. _I did not even feel it! Some one hit me with an egg._ I thought incredulously. _This was unbelievable, even during my time on Fisher Tiger's crew people never dared to anger us._ Before I had time to locate the egg thrower the swordsman swung again. I leapt back again. That was when I saw my kinsman, Hatchan getting to his feet. He was attempting to get to the pool. _He is going after curly brow._ I realized pleased.

"The person who got power from the devil fruit will lose all of the power underwater and die." _I know that much about devil fruits. All of these people seem pretty confident about him still being alive to rescue…. That means.._ I realized and my grin faded.

"If that kid is still alive, it means that there is someone else getting involved in the fight." I growled, my eyes scanning over the crowd as I dodged the blades again. The mayor was missing and the blue-haired girl. _I knew I should have killed them years ago!_

"Get involved? I've never thought that this game was fair anyway." The swordsman snorted.

"But I have to check who those rats are." I commented, grinning. _They were a threat to our relationship with Nami anyways._ I took a step forward, the swordsman stood in front of me, blocking my way.

"Hey Arlong! Over here!" yelled a new voice. I glanced around and caught sight of the human peering through a hole in the wall. _Like a coward, I can smell his fear from here._ I watched as the long nose aimed something at me. _He is trying to distract me._

"How dare you try to stop me!" I gritted at them both. The swordsman took another step forward. _This one in particular is really annoying! Why won't he give up._

You really want to die Roronoa Zoro." I yelled, glaring at him from across the blades between us.

"I will break your nose Roronoa Zoro!" I declared. _Hahahaha. It was a pity to have to kill such a talented human. I had never seen one human wield three swords…..But no matter, Hatchi wields six. Time to end this._

The pirate swung and the blade slammed against my nose. I felt pain, but my nose held.

"Idiot, my nose cannot be broken. That's why it is really long." I watched as the shocked turned to determination. _What the hell is wrong with this human?_

"If you are strong, maybe you can make some scars on my nose." I taunted.

"Squidy" The swordsman called as he noticed Hatchi making his way to the water.

He faltered.

"I won't allow your plan to succeed, Roronoa Zoro. I will go down there and kill all your friends" The swordsman grip on the sword in his mouth tightened and his eyes hardened but he made no move. _How can he, we have won._ I thought, as a watched Hatchi jump into the water.

"Don't worry about them because all of you will die anyway" I promised him, before lunging forward to spear him. I felt his muscle collapse as his strength failed. Reaching up and gripping his neck in my hand, I heard his friend scream his name and smiled. As I lifted him by the neck I saw that his torso was covered with bandages.

"Why are you covered in bandages, let me see." I demanded and ripped the white cloth off. His gasp of pain was drowned by everyone else's . Blood was gushing from a slash in his side from his left shoulder to his right hip. The stiches looked to be barely holding him together. _What is this wound from? How long has he had this. This looks older. Why is he still alive with this much damage? How can he stand?_ I looked up to his face and saw a monster in his eyes. His eyes looked like twins of the boy with the strawhat… _they remind me of Fisher…_ I shut that pathway down. _What is he looking at, this is not the way a person who is almost dead should look at me. I do not see prey. I should see fear, anger, pleading, regret, despair, puny weak human emotions. I will make him look at me like that._ I raised my hand.

"Hahahahahaha" I caught the green-haired man laughing faintly. At first I almost dropped him. Then catching myself I tightened my grip to cut off his laughter. _He is laughing!_

"Huh!" I

"Better do something at least the wound is not going to open. What a moron."

"That's right you are a very strange person" I said grinning again.

"I don't talk about myself. I talked about that Squidy" I was confused now and my hand faltered again. He coughed, blood coming out of his mouth. _Why do I keep faltering, why do I keep letting this puny human get into my head._

"What" I demanded, my smile fell. But the swordsman eyes' were fixed on the sky.

"I told you that we would win this game." I was tired of this word play. I raised my hand again, this time I would not falter. Not in front of this strange, puny human, with the monster aura. I tightened my grip on his throat more.

"I'M BACK" came a roar from somewhere above. I blinked and saw the green-haired man's face flashed with relief, satisfaction, and his features contorted into a smirk.

I looked up and saw a black hair, red vest, straw hat. The rubberman.

"That rubberman brat!" I snarled

"You're late idiot" The swordsman said but bizarrely not sounding surprised. The last I saw of his face was absolute confidence. This monster has confidence in this kid? How has this kid inspired this man for him to fight even though he is already on the brink of death. They aren't similar in anyway.

"ZORO" Came that annoying, voice, _is that pride in his voice?_. And the next thing I knew the green-haired man was gone and in its place was a black-haired kid. I looked up at his face and came face to face with another beast…

I realized, the swordsman had been the beginning of the end for me.

... **A year later Impel Down**

...I had learned a lot since then, about myself, about the government, about the who the enemy was.

And now as I lay in this hell.

I listened to them talk about how he could cut ships in half, how he could cut anything that came across his path.

Heard that he was second in command of the legendary crew.

One of three monsters, residing on the ship.

Heard of his unfailing loyalty to his captain.

Rattled my chains, making the guards exchanged nervous looks.

Those bastards in their white land in the clouds had no idea what was coming for them.

The captain and his monster.

And could not help the grin that spread across my face….


End file.
